<h2>Name</h2>
<p>
The name of this Surah has not been taken from any verse but it has
been called <em>Al-Anbiyaa</em> because it contains a continuous account of
many <em>Anbiyaa</em> (Prophets). Nevertheless, it is a symbolic name and not a
title.
</p>
<h2>Period of Revelation</h2>
<p>
Both the subject matter and the style of the Surah indicate that it was
sent down in the third stage of the life of the Holy Prophet at
Makkah.(Sea Introduction to Chapter VI).
</p>
<h2>Subject and Topics</h2>
<p>
This Surah discusses the conflict between the Holy Prophet and the
chiefs of Makkah, which was rampant at the time of its Revelation and
answers those objections and doubts which were being put forward
concerning his Prophethood and the Doctrines of <em>Tauhid</em> and the
Hereafter. The chiefs of Makkah have also been rebuked for their
machinations against the Holy Prophet and warned of the evil
consequences of their wicked activities. They have been admonished to
give up their indifference and heedlessness that they were showing
about the Message. At the end of the Surah, they have been told that
the person whom they considered to be a "distress and affliction" had
in reality come to them as a blessing.
</p>
<h2>Main Themes</h2>
<p>
In vv. 1-47, the following themes have been discussed in particular :
</p>
<OL>
<p>
<LI> The objection of the disbelievers that a human being could not be
a Messenger and therefore they could not accept Muhammad (peace be
upon him) as a Prophet, has been refuted. 
</p>
<p>
<LI> They have been taken to
task for raising multifarious and contradictory objections against the
Holy Prophet and the Qur'an. 
</p>
<p>
<LI> Their wrong conception of life has
been proved to be false because it was responsible for their
indifferent and heedless attitude towards the Message of the Holy
Prophet. They believed that life was merely a sport and pastime and
had no purpose behind or before it and there was no accountability or
reward or punishment. 
</p>
<p>
<LI> The main cause of the conflict between the
disbelievers and the Holy Prophet was their insistence on the doctrine
of <em>shirk</em> and antagonism to the Doctrine of <em>Tauhid</em>. So the doctrine of
<em>skirk</em> has been refuted and the Doctrine of <em>Tauhid</em> reinforced by weighty
and impressive though brief arguments. 
</p>
<p>
<LI> Arguments and admonitions
have been used to remove another misunderstanding of theirs. They
presumed that Muhammad (peace be upon him) was a false prophet and his
warnings of a scourge from God were empty threats, just because no
scourge was visiting them in spite of their persistent rejection of
the Prophet. 
</p>
</OL>
<p>
In vv. 48-91, instances have been cited from the
important events of the life stories of the Prophets to show that all
the Prophets, who were sent by God, were human beings and had all the
characteristics of a man except those which were exclusive to
Prophethood. They had no share in Godhead and they had to implore
Allah to fulfill each and every necessity of theirs.
</p>
<p>
Along with these
two other things have also been mentioned: 
</p>
<OL>
<p>
<LI> All the Prophets had to
pass through distress and affliction; their opponents did their worst
to thwart their mission, but in spite of it they came out successful
by the extraordinary succour from Allah. 
</p>
<p>
<LI> All the Prophets had one
and the same "way of life', the same as was being presented by
Muhammad (Allah's peace be upon him), and that was the only Right Way
of Life and all other ways invented and introduced by mischievous
people were utterly wrong. 
</p>
</OL>
<p>
In vv. 92-106, it has been declared that
only those who follow the Right Way, will come out successful in the
final judgment of God and those who discard it shall meet with the
worst consequences. 
</p>
<p>
In vv. 107-112, the people have been told that it
is a great favour of Allah that He has sent His Messenger to inform
them beforehand of this Reality and that those, who consider his
coming to be an affliction instead of a blessing, are foolish people.
</p>

